Along this route, the first road between Superior and Bay-

field was built in 1870. The road was used to transport

freight, mail, and passengers between the cities until it was

replaced by the railroad in 1885.

• About a half mile from the parking lot, you will

come to a fork. To the right is the copper range spur

that meanders 1.6 miles where it crosses the Brule

River and ends at copper range campground. It is

reported that two taverns used to exist at this cross-

ing. One had rooms for travelers and could accom-

modate up to eight teams of horses. This was a

“layover” between the two cities on the two day

journey.

• Hook a left at the fork and shortly after you will see a

rocky rise with a fence on top (north of the trail). This

is the location of the old Percival Mine. Stay outside

the fence for your safety. Imagine the amount of

work it took to operate steam driven drills and pumps

back in the 1870’s. In 1873 a copper vein was report-

ed to have been found only 15 feet down. Exploration

continued, but in 1874 prospecting appeared to fail.

There were several additional attempts to mine for

copper here from 1899 through WWII. The shaft at

one time reached a depth of 90 feet.

• Continuing on, you will come to a wooden bridge that

crosses a small unnamed stream that flows in to Perci-

val Creek. shortly after the bridge, look for an old

foundation left of the trail. It is believed that this is

what remains of the quarters the miners used in the

1870’s. The Percival mine employed eight to fifteen

men.

• Eventually you will come to a left turn in the trail and

have to walk up a steep grade. This is where the trail

leaves the route the Bayfield Road and continues on

to the lookout a mandatory rest stop on your hike!

History of the Bayfield Trail

0 1/4 1/2 3/4 1 Mile

• After taking in the breathtaking view, continue on into one

of the rarest ecological sights on the forest. This is one of

the only locations you will find a sugar maple and hemlock

stand on the Brule River State Forest. This is an indicator

of a nutrient rich soil.

• The remainder of your hike will take you past the old fire

tower, along a series of boardwalk through a mixture of

varying cover types until you reach your point of origin

back at the trail head.

HISTORIC BAYFIELD ROAD

HIKING & SNOWSHOE TRAIL ( Approximately 2.25 miles)

Mining exploration occurred in the area around Bayfield

trail between the 1840’s and the end of World War II .

Percival mine, named after its last owner, James G.

Percival was one of the more well known copper mines

in the area. The land, formerly known as the copper

range, was first explored by John Jacob Astor and the

North American Fur Company who searched for copper

along the south shore of Lake Superior. Numerous other

mining attempts were made by different people that

purchased the mines in hopes of turning a profit, but the

results were minimal. In 1873 the mines were purchased

along with a large tract of land on the west side of the

mouth of the Brule by Englishman Samuel Budget. The

land was finally sold in 1898 to Percival Mining Com-

pany which is where the mine got its name. After the

land went into public ownership, all of the structures

were removed leaving only remnants of foundations,

and abandoned mine shafts that can still be visited as

you hike the trail.

Mining History

2.25 Miles on the

Brule River State Forest

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:

Brule DNR Headquarters:

6250 S. Ranger Rd. Brule, WI 54849

(715) 372-5678

OTHER TRAILS ON THE BRSF Stoney Hill Nature Trail

(1.7 miles) 1 mile south of Hwy 2. on Ranger Rd.

After Hours Ski Trail

(15 miles of groomed trail during the winter and available for

hunting in the fall) 0.4 miles west of Brule on Hwy 2

Historic Brule/ St. Croix Portage Trail

(2 miles) Off of Hwy. A at the north end of Lake

St. Croix

North Country Nat’l Scenic Trail (22 mile segment on BRSF) northcountrytrail.org/bsc/